Portable car washing apparatus



Nov. 27, 1945. F. P. WALSH PORTABLE CAR WASHING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet l LJLJLILJ k 73 Q ml; r n M H H N am! wk n U H .fl/n M H U U X N. \N b i lm 0 Q& Ill lol Ill k MN \NE QB %%\|I ll E |\Ni| I] W QB LT M Q k NEH T QN S1 9v b ww M *u R MN Nov. 27, 1945. F. P. WALSH PORTABLE CAR WASHING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 3, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 II III.

Nov. 27, 1945. WALSH 2,390,017

PORTABLE CAR WASHING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 3, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Nov. 27, 1945 PORTABLE OAR WASHING APPARATUS Frank P. Walsh, St. Louis, Mo., assignor toWhiting Corporation, Harvey, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application December 3, 1942, Serial No. 467,688

7 Claims.

The invention relates to apparatus for washing railway cars.

One object of the invention is to provide a car washing apparatus which is portable and which can be easily and quickly transported for washing the sides of railway cars on any of a series of tracks in a yard or house where they are being serviced. By providing washing apparatus which is readily transportable into position to wash a railway car on any of a series of tracks the time and labor necessary to switch the cars ontoa single track with which the washing apparatus is associated or the necessity of duplicating the apparatus for the series of tracks will be avoided.

Another object of the invention is to provide car washing apparatus of this type which can be wheeled into position for washing'cars on any 01' a series 01' tracks and which is equipped with means for correctly spotting and securing the brushes in their correct position so that they will be pressed against the sides of the car respectively for efiectively and simultaneously washing both sides of a car traveling past the brushes.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simple and efilcient portablewashing apparatus comprising vertically extending power driven rotary brushes for washing the sides of railway cars.

Other objects 01 the invention will appear from the detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan of apparatus embodying the invention and the equipment with which it is used, the motors for driving the brushes being omitted.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the washing apparatus partly in section, the spray shields being omitted.

Fig. 31s a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective of a portion of the supporting structure.

The invention is exemplified with apparatus which comprises two washing units oi. similar Each brush I0 is fixed to a vertical drive shaft .by a horizontally swinging arm 22. The upper and lower arms for each brush are vertically aligned to permit the brushes to swing laterally. Each pair of arms I5 and I1 which carries a brush I0 is fixed to a shaft 20 which is joumaled in a lower bearing l9 and an upper bearing 2|. Each pair of arms I1 and 22 which carries a brush H is fixed to a vertical shaft 23, the upper end of which is journaled' in a bearing 2| and the lower-end of which is journaled in a bearing 24. Each pair of arms and the connecting shaft between them constitute a horizontally swinging support for one of the rotary brushes so that they will be normally positioned in the path 01 the railway car and will be deflected thereby as said car travels past the brush in either direction. Bearings 2| of each unit. are fixed to the opposite end portions of a bar 21. Each bearing is is fixed to one end of a supporting plate 28. Each bearing 24 is secured to a supporting plate 29. A vertical electric motor 30 is supported on each of the arms I! coaxially with its supporting shaft. A pulley 3| is fixed to the upper end of each of the shafts 2 and I3 and is driven by ,belts 32 from a, belt pulley 33 on the lower end of the motor shafts.

The carrying arms for each of the brushes are normally held to extend inwardly at substanconstruction which are adapted to be located at the sides of a railway track for simultaneously washing the opposite sides of a railway ,car. Each unit comprises a vertically extending brush III of suflicient height to traverse and wash the entire side of the car and a shorter vertical brush II for washing the windows of the car.

tially right angles to the edge sides of the car and are movable in opposite directions from their normal position so that the brushes can be deflected in the direction of travel of the car and will remain in engagement with the car. Each' of the brushes is normally and yieldingly held so it can be thus deflected in either direction by a device which comprises a sheave 38 which is fixed to the shaft which supports the arms which carries the brush, a cable 39 looped around and centrally fixed to sheave 38 with branches which extend backwardly around guide sheaves 30 and thence downwardly through openings 42 which extend through counter weights 43, respectively, and have fixed thereto a small weight 44 which is adapted to engage and lift and can be lowered away from one of the counterweights. Each weight 3 is guided in a cylinder 46 which is'fixedly supported on a bracket 66. When the supporting arms for the brushes are in centralized position both weights will berertically supported and upon deflection of a brush by the railway car, one end of the cable 66 will lift one of the weights 66 while the other end of the cable will be paid out and held taut by the small weight thereon without lifting the other weight,

66. The weights 66 when lifted, cause the brush to which they are connected to be pressed against thecar. This exemplifies vertically extending power driven rotary brushes adapted to be positioned at each side of the railway car and means cars. The rails 16 are notched'asat 16 to receive the flanges on the wheel 66 and permit the wheels to be rolled into position for washing railway cars on any of the tracks. The

tracks 16 are laid in a walk 16 which extends across the tracks.

While the apparatus is washing a railway car the side frames should be equidistantly spaced from the side of the railway car being washed and locked to. cause the brushes of the units on opposite sides to be yieldingly pressed with unifor supporting the brushes to permit them to be to jet streams of'water on the side of the railway car before and after it passes the brushes. Spray shields 69 are supported at the outer sides of the brushes to prevent splash from the brushes from being projected outwardly.

The supporting structure for the washing units comprises a frame at each side, the frames being spaced apart to support the washing units in operative relation to the sides of the. railway car and to permit the cars to pass between them, and an overhead cross connection between the frames under which the railway car is adapted to travel. Each side-frame comprises a pair of spaced channel-beams 62 and a mast formed of a channel-beam 66 which are rigidly secured together. The lower end of beam 66 flts between a pair of channel-beams 62. Brace-beams 61 rigidly connect the outer ends of beams 62 to the flanges of the beam 66. The lower end of the beam 66 is additionally secured to beams 62 by angle plates 68. Brackets 63 are fixed under and to the outer ends of the beams 62 and each of said brackets carries an axle 66 for a flanged carrying wheel 65. Each bar 21 which carries the upper bracket for pivotally supporting the brushes I6 and II, plates 26 and 29 which support the bearings for the shafts which carry the supporting arms for the brushes and bars 66" which support cylinders 66 are welded to the inner faces of the beam 66. The overhead cross connection between the masts 66 comprises a pair of channel-girders 10 and plates II between the inner faces of the beams 10 and the side flanges of the beam 66. The mast 66, plates 'H and beams 16 are securely welded together to form a rigid overhead cross connection between the side frames so that the lower ends of the side frames will be flxedly supported in properly spaced relation and so that a cross connection form pressure against the sides of the car. During the operation of the washing units the supporting structure is subjected to considerable vibration. In order to spot the side frames transversely relatively to the cars being washed and to secure them in their spotted position, devices are provided at each'side of the supporting structure for locking the side frames against lateral movement in the direction of and transversely to the travel of the railway cars. Each of these devices comprises a hand-lever I6 which is ful-.

crumed at I9 on the outer side of a mast 66, a pair of belts or rods 66 which are slidably mounted in the flanges of an outside beam 62, a pair of plates 6| countersunk in the walk 16 and provided with sockets for receiving the lower ends of rods 66, a bell crank lever 62 connected to the upper end of each of the rods and pivoted to the top of said cross beam 62, and links 63 between levers 62 and the hand-lever I6. While the supporting structure for the washer is being shifted for work from one track to another. the rods 66 will be held raised to clear the walk 16, and when the supporting structure has been spotted to its correct position for washing the cars on one of the tracks formed by rails I6, the levers 18 at both sides of the structure can be shifted to lower the rods 60 into the socket plates II and to lock said structure.

Water is supplied to the supply pipes 66, 61 by means of a hose-connection which permits the washing apparatus to operate while the supporting structure is positioned for washing the cars on any of the tracks. Current is supplied to the electric motors 60 by a power cable of sufficient length to make it possible for the machine to serve a railway car on several of the tracks.

The operation of the improved washing apparatus is as follows: The supporting structure is wheeled into position for washing the cars on any of the car tracks before the train of cars to be washed extends across the walk I6 and is locked in its spotted position by shifting the levers 16 at both sides of the supporting structure to lock the rods 66 into the sockets in plates 6|. The washing units will then be positioned so that a train of railway cars can travel between the power driven rotary brushes and both sides of between the lower portions of the frames can be I the car will be simultaneously washed as they travel past the brushes. When the railway cars of another train on a different track are to be washed the levers 16 will be shifted to release the supporting structure and the latter will be wheeled to another track and again locked into position in readiness for washing the cars in a train on said other track.

The invention exemplifies car washing apparatus which is adapted to simultaneously wash both sides of a railway car and comprises a portable supporting structure and washing equipment whereby the washer can be readily and quickly shifted for use in washing cars on any of a series of usually parallel tracks so that it is not necessary to provide a washing apparatus for Having thus described the invention, what I,

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a pair of units for simultaneously washing the sides of a railway car traveling on a track, comprising vertically extending rotary brushes yieldingly supported for engaging the sides of the car and electric motors for driving said brushes, of a portable supporting structure for said units comprising side frames between which the car can travel, a rigid overhead connection between the side frames and under which the cars are adapted to pass, and carrying wheels adjacent the ends of the side frames whereby the structure can be wheeled across the track for operatively supporting the units for washing cars on different tracks, and means for releasably and positively locking the structure to the floor on which the track is laid and in operative positions for washing cars on the tracks.

2. The combination with a pair of units -for simultaneously washing the sides of a railway car traveling on a track, comprising vertically extending rotary brushes yieldingly supported for engaging the sides of the car, and electric motors for driving said brushes, of a portable supporting structure for said units comprising side frames between whichthe car can travel, a rigid overhead girder-connection between the side frames and under which the cars are adapted to pass, and carrying wheels adjacent "the ends of the side frames, a cross-track on which said wheels can travel for operatively supporting the units for washing cars on different tracks, and means for releasably and positively locking the structure to the floor on which the tracks are laid for securing the units for washing cars on different tracks.

3. The combination with a pair of units for simultaneously washing the sides of a railway car traveling on a track, comprising vertically extending rotary brushes yieldingly supported for engaging the sides of the car, and electric motors for driving said brushes, of a portable supporting structure for said units comprising side frames between which the car can travel, a rigid overhead girder-connection between the side frames and under which the cars ar adapted to pass. and carrying wheels adjacent the ends of the side frames, a cross track on which said wheels can travel for operatively supporting the units for washing cars on different tracks, and devices on each side frame for releasably and positively securing the structure against lateral movement in spotted positions relatively to cars .on said different tracks. v A

4. The combination with a pair of units -for. simultaneously washing the sides of a railway car traveling on a track, comprisingavertically extending rotary brushes yieldingly supported for engaging the sides of the car and electric motors fol-driving the brushes, of a. portable structure for supporting said units, comprising side frames between which the car can travel,

each frame including a pair of side-beams spaced apart, masts formed of a channel beam having its lower end extending between and fixed to the pairs of side-beams, a pair of channel-girders rigidly connecting the upper ends of the masts and under which the cars are adapted to pass, and carrying wheels at the ends of the sidebeams adapted to travel crosswise of the track on which the cars travel, and devices mounted on the side frames for releasably locking the structure to operatively support the units for washing cars on different tracks.

5. The combination with a pair of units for simultaneously washing the sides of a railway car traveling on a track, comprising vertically extending rotary brushes yieldingly supported for engaging the sides of the car and electric motors for driving the brushes, of a portable structure for supporting said units, comprising side frames between which the car can travel, each frame including a pair of side-beams spaced apart, masts formed of a channel beam having its lower end extending between and fixed to the pairs of side-beams, a pair of channel-girders rigidly connecting the upper ends of the masts and under which the cars are adapted to pass, and carrying wheels at the ends of the side-beams adapted to travel crosswise of the track on which the cars travel, and devices comprising bolts, and levers for shifting the bolts, mounted on the side-frames, and stationary bolt receiving socketplates stationarily secured in position to spot the structure relatively to the track on which the cars are washed.

6. Equipment for washing vehicles on a plurality of substantially parallel tracks, comprising: a pair of portable side frames spaced apart for travel between them of a vehicle on one of the tracks; vertically extending brushes for engaging the sides of the vehicle, yieldably supported on the sid frames, respectively; electric motors for driving said brushes carried by the side frames, respectively; carrying wheels adjacent the end of each side frame and journalled thereon for supporting them for rolling movement transversely of the tracks; and a rigid overhead connection between the upper ends of the frames and connecting them for conjoint transportation of the frames, brushes and motors from an operative position for washing a vehicle on one track to a position for washing a vehicle on another track disposed laterally thereof,

7. Equipment for washing vehicle on a plurality of substantially parallel tracks, comprising: a pair of portable side frames spaced apart for travel between them on a vehicle on one of the tracks; vertically extending brushes for engaging the sides of the vehicle, yieldably sup- FRANK P. WALSH. 

